After a near break-in at her apartment, a young Greek woman reassesses her life. She starts a blog under the alter-ego of Lady Linguist. As she ventures forth into the new and strange cyber-world, she finds herself confronted with the real-life decision of either huddling within the safe strictures of her culture, or stepping out into the unknown.

Suppose the government were to impose a word tax on all communications. Through her blog posts, Jessie Maxwell shows what could happen when what you can say depends on what you can pay. This story is both a celebration of language and a cautionary tale.
If you enjoy languages, if you want to learn more about how languages work, or if you delight in learning new words, then this story is for you.

In a future where naming is vital and the labelling of a new species can have major ramifications, what hope is there for an ancient tongue that is effectively linguistically dead? "A rich and rewarding read from a stylish new Scottish talent" (World Fantasy Award-winner Jeff VanderMeer).